1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer, and more particularly to such a printer which selects a language translation program corresponding to a printer control language in analysis of a printing job described on the basis of the printer control language, executing the program on a memory and printing based on a result of analysis obtained by the execution of the program.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printer control language has conventionally been used to instruct a printer to generate a print image of print data originated by a terminal. When a plurality of terminals are connected via a network to a printer, different languages are sometimes used by the terminals. The printer is provided with a plurality of language translation programs in order to handle the plural languages used by the respective terminals. For example, refer to Japanese patent application publication, JP-A-2003-29946.
However, an execution environment of the language translation program becomes a problem when a printer is provided with a plurality of language translation programs. A language translation program is normally read onto a memory in the printer and executed on the memory. Accordingly, for the purpose of quick processing of transmitted print, it is desirable that different language translation programs should remain resident on the memory. However, a memory with a large capacity needs to be used in order that a plurality of language translation programs may remain resident on the memory. Thus, use of a large capacity memory is not realistic in view of cost problems. Accordingly, use frequencies of language translation programs have conventionally been obtained, so that only the language translation program with a highest use frequency has remained resident in a memory. Refer to Japanese patent application publication, JP-A-H11-194907, for example.
However, when a language translation program is selected on the basis of only the use frequency, the selection does not sometimes cope with an actual use status of language translation program.